Flying machine



y 6, 1929 G. w. WI-LKIN 1.720,939

FLYING MACHINE ,Filed Sept. 14, 1927 s 'sneets-sgeei 1 ATTORNEY.

July 16, 1929. G. w. WlLKlN FLYING MACHINE Filed Sept. 14, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet f I. t. I. a r I. o o V 4 I u 5 r ATTORNEY.

Patented July 16, 1929.

UNITED STATES,

GEORGEW; WILKIN, GRANGEVILICE, IDAHO.

FLYING MAGHDTE.

Application filed September 14, 1927.- Serial No. 219,468,

This invention relates to flying machines, and its primary object is to provide a flying machine which may be as speedy in flight as desired and which may be launched and landed in a substantially vertical plane or at such angles between the vertical and horizontal as not to require lengthy take-01f or landing runs, which may be made to hover over any given point, and which may be launched andlanded at comparatively slow and safe speeds.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means for propelling the 'ma chine by the action of rotary impellers for drawing air into and discharging it from wind tunnels or tubes in such manner as to utilize the combined forces of suction to draw the machine forward and compression and impingement of condensed jets or columns of air acting against the relatively still free air to give a propulsive eflect.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a combined supporting surface and propulsion means comprising the impellers and wind tunnels which is adjustable to varying working angles or angles of incidence to change the action of the machine to one of helicopter type or one of gliding type under different conditions of service and as required .in flight.

Still another object. of the invention is to provide compensating means operative in the adjustment of the wind-tunnels for an equalizing action to maintain the longitudinal stability of the craft.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means for regulating the flow of air to the wind-tunnels and impellers in order that their working action and the speed 4 of flight may be governed with or without change of speed of the impellers and in order to adapt the impellers to serve'as windbrakes for quick stopping or speed controlling action, as well as to regulate the volume and density of the. air compressed by the impellers.

Still another object of the invention is to provide impellers of such form as to" secure maximum power and efliciency, and to provide a controlling system whereby the pilot.

is given rapid andcomplete'control of the machine to govern its equilibrium and its direction of movement. Y

With these and other objects in view,

which will appear in the course of the subjoined description, the invention consists of the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference be inlg llilad to the accompanying drawings, in

1c Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine showing the wind-tunnel at the near side in F gure 3 1s a top plan view with a part of the fuselage broken away to disclose interior parts and showing the wind-tunnels shifted to an extreme position for a helicopter action. Figure 4 is a view of a wind-tunnel and impeller of modified form.

Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinal section through a part of the fuselage showing the parts of the driving e sleeve bearing for one of the wind-tunnels and the equalizer associated therewith.

Figure 6 ure 1.

, Figure 7 is a top plan view of the machine showing the wind-tunnels in the position illustrated in Figure 3.

Figure 8 is a vertical transverse section on line 88 of Figure 7 Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing a preferred form of impeller.

Figure 10 is a longitudinal section through the wind-tunnel and impellers shown in Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a face view of one of the impellers. f

Figure 12 is a perspective 'view of one of the impeller blades.

In the eziemplification disclosed, I have shown an aircraft body or fuselage 1 provided with suitable launching and landing gear 2, a vertical rudder '3, a tail stabilizer including a horizontal rudder 4, and a cockpit 5 containing one or more seats 6 for pilot and passengers, if any, and a driving motor 7. The rudders 3 and 4 are operative, through suitable connections, by control levers 8 and 9: 'The rudder 3 is shown as mounted upon the nose of the body, but may, iflesired be mounted upon the tail of the A supporting and propelling means is provided comprising duplicate wind-tunnels or tubes 10 disposed at opposite sides of the is a section pn lg e fi tloiFigbody 1. These tunnels may be of any suitable length and diameter, and each tunnel is 25. At their inner ends, the shafts 24 are open or provided with an air inlet 11 at its forward end, is closed by an end wall 12 at its rear end and is provided adjacent to the latter-named end with lateral air discharge outlets 13; In the form of the invention disterminates at its base in a. circular portion provided with short auxiliary blades 18, the sets of blades being arranged in working proximity to the discharge outlets 13. Each impeller is mounted on a shaft 19 journaled at its forward end in a spider or cross-bearing 20 and at its rear end in a thrust bearing 21 in the wall 12. The shafts 19 of the impellers are provided with bevel pinions 22 which mesh with bevel gears 23 on the outer ends of transverse transmission shafts 24 extending through and journaled in bearing sleeves provided with bevel gears 26 meshing with bevel pinions 27 on the upper ends of intermediate shafts 28 having pinions 29 at their lower ends meshing with a bevel drive-gear 30 on the drive shaft'31 of the motor 7. Through the system of gearing above described both impellers are driven in unison at the same rate of speed. The blades ofthe impellers operate in the rotation of the-impellers to draw in'air through the tunnel inlets 14, co press the air in the tunnels and discharge the air at an outward and rearward angle through the outlets 13, thus causing a propulsive motion through a combined suction effect and the impinging dynamic effect of the discharging currents of xpanding compressed air against the rela lvely inert free atmospheric air, whereby a powerful propulsive force is obtained. The impeller construction above described is set forth merely as an example of one form which may *be used, a preferred type of construction, be-

* aircraft body and thereby vary the angle of bod ing hereinafter described. a In thestructure shown in Figure 4 the tunnel is open atits rear end to provide an air outlet 13 and the propeller 15" is journaled at its rear-end in a cross-bar 12 and is devoid of the blades 18.

The sleeve bearings 25 are journaled to rotate in the u per bearing ends of levers 32 as a horizontaftransverse axis on which the su portin and r0 elling means com risin th wind tunndls and impellers uilty; bfi swung or tilted from a horizontal to'a substantiall vertical position and vice versa, or to di erent intermediate positions, to vary the angular relation of the tunnels to the nvaaeae incidence of the sup orting and propellin means to the aircraft body. The tunnels an propellers thus may be arranged substantially parallel with or at a slight angle of incidence to the body for a direct propulsive action for straightaway flight, or more or less at right angles to the body for substantially straight vertical ascent or descent or for hovering purposes, governed by, the lifting and impellin speed of the impellers, or at any intermediate angle for quick takeofl's in making running starts or climbing or landing at any angle or compensating in flight for either nose-heaviness or tail-heaviness. As thus constructed, a helicopter type of machine is provided in which air turbines act, by reason of their inclosure, in windtunnels, to exert by both suction and dynamic forces, air reactions whereby great lifting power and speed may be obtained.

The means for adjusting the tunnels comprises gears 33 on the sleeves 25, meshing with gears 34 on a transverse shaft 35, 6n which is also a gear 36 meshing with a gear 37 on the upper end of a vertical shaft 38. Shaft '38 is provided at its lower end with a gear 39 meshing with a gear 40 on an operating shaft 41 provided with another gear 42 meshing with a gear 43 on a control shaft 44 provided with a hand wheel or the like whereby the adjusting gearing just de- 'scribedma'ybe actuated to adjust the wind tunnels to-any of the ,desired working positions. Any suitable means for locking the gearing in any working position may be provided or the gearing maybe one of selflocking type. The control shaft is arranged in such position that the pilot may at all times readily and conveniently operate it for regulating the action of the supporting and.

propelling means as desired or required.

In the shifting of the supportin and propelling means to varying angles 0 incidence undesirable changes in the center of gravity and lift would occur but for the fact that I provide cpmpensating means for preventing such changes. To this end, the. levers 32 are provided which are centrall pivoted, as at 45, to swing in a fore-'and-a direction, and the sleeve bearings are mounted on the upper arms-of these levers, which arms of the levers are movable to alimited extent in guide slots 46 in the top of the body. Attached atone end to the lower armof each lever' is a pair ofcables 47-48 which passdivergently upwardly and outwardly and over a pair of aide pulleys 47 at the adjacent side of the dy t ence upwardly and inwardly in convergent relation and cross each other and pass over a second pair of guide pulleys 48 at the top of the body, the cables thence extending downwardly in convergent and It will thus be seen that as the wind-tunnels are tilted in one direction or the other, the levers will tilt to an extent limited by the friction cables which equalize the forces on the upper and lower arms of the'levers above and below the pivots 45 which form in effect the axis of motion of the tunnels, which axis is arranged, at a low point so related to the centers of gravity and pressure of the craft that notwithstanding the adjustment of the tunnels to different angles of incidence the longitudinal equilibrium of the craft will be maintained. This compensating action is provided in order to allow the horizontal rudder to be used nor-' mally and to automatically correct a condition which would otherwise result in longitudinal instability toa degree not susceptible of correction at all by adjustment of the horizontal rudder or, if so, would interfere with the normal use of such rudder for vertical trimming and steering actions. This compensating means is believed to be broadly new in combination with any tiltable or rockable supporting surface, such, for example, as rocking wings, and hence I. do .not limit this part of my invention to use in connection with the particular type of supporting and propelling means herein shown;

The dampers 14 are provided to regulate the amount ofair to the wind-tunnels as conditions may require or to make the air supply suitable for'any. speed of the impellers. They are also adapted to serve the function of wind-brakes for governing, checking or accelerating the speed of the craft, when conditions require without the necessity of varyingthe speed of the impellers, although, obviously, a speed controlling action may be obtained by adjusting the dampers and simultaneously increasing or decreasing the speed of the impellers. These dampers are simultaneously adjustable and to this end are mounted on shafts provided with cranks 51 coupled by a connecting rod 52, one of the cranks 51 being also coupled by a connecting rod 53 to a crank 54 on a shaft 55 extending into one of the tunnels. This'shaft 55 carries a bevel gear 56 meshing with a bevel gear 57 on the outer end of a shaft 58 journaled in one of the shafts 24 and extending therethrough into the body 1. The end of the shaft 58 within the body carries a bevel gear 59 meshing with a gear 60 on the upper end of an upright shaft 61 having a crank and connecting rod, coupling with a control lever 62, whereby the pilot may conveniently operate the dampers.

Wings 63 may or may not-be provided upon the wind-tunnels. Their use may be .found desirable as an aidto stability and sustension and in permitting liding landings to. be made in the event 0 motor derangement. In Figures 9 to 12, inclusive, I have shown an impeller organization and structure of preferred type. As shown therein the impeller shaft here extends forwardly and rearwardly of the ivotal axis of the wind-tunnel and carries a ront conical impeller 64 and a rear conical impeller 65. The front impeller comprises a rotative body formed of spiders 66 fixed to the shaft, a cylinder or shell 67 carried by the spiders and blades 68 arrarfged Within the shell and fixed to the walls thereof, While the rear imp'eller comprises a conical body 69 fixed to the shaft and carrying blades 70. In the case of each impeller, the blades are of helical curvature and longitudinally channeled and of restricted Width at their forward ends and gradually increasing width toward their rear ends. The channeled sidesof the blades face in the direction of rotation of the impeller and the rear delivery ends of the blades of each impeller face a set of discharge outlets 13 in the tunnel and discharge the air at an outward and rearward angle relatively thereto. The blades of each impeller, which are fixed to the impeller body and to each other, are arranged in concentric annular and radial rows, thus allowing alage number of blades to be em ployed with resulting increased propulsive effect, and the sets of blades by being so formed and arranged work with a screw action on the air so as to secure the triple sustaining and propulsive effects due to suction, dynamic compression and screw travel. By the use of fore-and aft propellers in each tunnel, one arranged in advance and the other in rear of its pivotal axis, which is normally coincident with the center of gravity, balancing lifting pressures and centers of lift are obtained which greatly add to the stability of the craft. In additiommuch greater power is obtained. It will be noted that the wall of the body or shell 67 of the front impeller is perforated for the discharge of thean from the blades therethrough, the rear ends of which blades are fixed to the shell and the blades of each row to each other.

From the foregoing description, taken-1n connection with the drawings, the construction, mode of operation and advantage of the invention will be readily understood by those versed in the art without a further and extended description. It is, of course, to, be understood that the construction shown for carrying the invention into practical effect are merely exemplificative and may be modified at will within the spirit and scope of the inpeller insaid tunnel having annular groupsof spirally shaped channeled blades arranged in radial. rows for drawing air thereinto through the air inlet and discharging the air through the air exit.

2.. A flying machine comprising a body, a wind-tunnel disposed over each side ofthe body and each "having an air inlet and an air exit, means for tiltin said wind tunnels in a vertical plane in unison, a damper in each tunnel for governingthe amount of air entering through the inlet thereof, means for adjusting the dampers in unison and an impeller in each tunnel for drawing air thereinto through the air inlet and discharging the air through the air exit.

3. A flying machinecomprising a body, a wind-tunnel at each side of the body, bearing sleeves carrying the wind-tunnels and journaled in the sides of-the body, a rotary impeller in each tunnel, gearing including drive shafts journaled in said sleeves for driving the impellers, adjusting means in gear with the sleeves for rotating said sleeves about the shafts as axes of motion,\regulating dampers in the air-tunnels and means for adjustin said dampers.

4. S upporting and propelling means for aircraft comprising a wind-tunnel having an inlet at its forward end and provided with front and rear sets of lateral air discharge openings, and front and rear conical and channel-bladed rotary impellers in said tunnel for drawing airthrough the air inlet and sets of discharge openings.

5. Supporting and pro lling means for aircraft comprising a win -tunnel having an air inlet at its forward end, closed at its rear end and having lateral air discharge outlet near the latter-named end, a shaft in the tunnel having an end bearing in the closed end wall thereof, a rotary impeller carried by said shaft for drawing air through the air inlet and discharging the air through the lateral air outlets, and means for producing a counter pressure for counteracting the thrust pressure of the propeller on the said end bearing of the shaft.

6. Supporting and propelling means for aircraft comprising, in combination with an aircraft body, a wind-tunnel pivotally inounted for vertical swinging movement on a horizontal transverse axis at each side of the body, rotary impellers in the wind-tunnels, means for swinging the wind-tunnels in unison, and means for permitting shifting of the axes of the tlfn'nels in the swinging movements there of to compensate for wei ht displacements so as to maintain the longitudinal equilibrium of the craft.

7. An aircraft comprising a body, supporting means embodying supporting elementsat opposite sides of the body, means for tilting said supporting means to difierentangles of incidence, and means compensatively operative for changes in the angularity of position of the supporting means" with relation of the bod to maintain the longitudinal equilibrium of t e craft. discharging the same through the respective In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix signature. r a i GEORGE w. wIL -m; 

